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Wednesday, 7 December 2016

The three men alleged to have kidnapped and killed the human resources manager of the Dangote Industries Limited, Istifanus Bello, have said he was murdered for bringing incomplete ransom.

The suspects – Abdullahi Saliu, Babuga Adamu and Abubakar Gide – told PUNCH Metro that Bello got them angry after bringing N5.6m instead of the N10m agreed for the release of four expatriates earlier kidnapped by their gang.

They said Bello was killed after he had been held for three days because he allegedly refused to call his employer to pay the balance of N4.4m.

PUNCH Metro had reported that Bello had gone to the Ijebu-Igbo area of Ogun State with N5.6m as ransom payment for the four expatriates.

While the foreigners were released, he was abducted and later killed.His corpse was reportedly recovered from a river by the police.

Investigations by the Abba Kyari-led Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response Team resulted in the arrest of Saliu, Adamu and Gide in Lagos, Kwara and Ogun states.

The men, who were Fulani herdsmen, were on Tuesday transferred from the Force headquarters in Abuja to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Ikeja, Lagos, pending the conclusion of investigation.In an exclusive chat with punch correspondent, the suspects, who spoke in Yoruba, said 10 of them carried out the operation.

Twenty-year-old Saliu, an indigene of Kano State, said they were led by one Alti, who fired the shot that killed Bello.

He said, “We were 10 that carried out the operation and we were all fully armed. We had attacked and abducted the four expatriates while they worked in a quarry located in a forest in Ijebu-Igbo; they were guarded by two policemen who had an AK-47 rifle and a pump-action rifle. We surrounded the quarry, overpowered the policemen and took one of their rifles. We didn’t touch them.

“We then moved the expatriates into the forest where we fed them with bread and soft drinks. We made contact with their families and the company and demanded N30m ransom. We later reduced the money to N20m and then N10m.

“Some days later, the man (Bello) brought N5.6m. Our leader, Alti, was angry and after releasing the four expatriates, he seized the man. He said he must call his family members or the firm to pay up the remaining N4.4m or else he would be killed in three days. But the man said he does not have any number to give us and he does not have any money. After the three days elapsed and nobody came for him, he was shot dead.”

Saliu said he was paid N150,000 from the ransom after which he left the group.

The suspects dumped the victim’s corpse in a river and tied it to a log to prevent the corpse from floating.

Another suspect, Adamu, 25, said he had persuaded Alti against killing the victim, adding that the leader rebuked him.

“I was given N190,000 for my role. I still have the bulk of the money. When the man brought the ransom, I was the one that led the group to take the money. I was able to do this because I have lived in Ijebu-Igbo for over 10 years; I was brought up here. When Alti insisted on killing the man, I told him to take the man far from where our cows graze; I said it was none of my business if he killed him,” he added.

The third suspect, 24-year-old Gide, from the Gumi Local Government Area of Sokoto State, said Adamu made him to join the group.

He said his role was to buy food for the expatriates.

A source told PUNCH Metro that the police and some vigilance group members had first apprehended Saliu and transferred him to the Ogun State Special Anti-Robbery Squad, adding that when they didn’t have a breakthrough, the IGP team was invited.

He said, “After we intervened, Saliu confessed to us and took us to where the man’s corpse was. It was already decomposing when we found it. Fish had even picked out his eyes. We contacted some council officials, who removed the corpse and deposited it in a mortuary from where some employees of the Dangote company picked it.

“From the information we gathered, we arrested Adamu’s brother, who gave us his address in a forest in Epe, Lagos. We got him arrested around 2am while he was fast asleep with other herdsmen in an open space.

“We later moved to Kwara State to arrest the last suspect, Gide. A policeman had pretended that he had a special assignment and he needed a woman and a hotel to stay in, and since Gide was very familiar with the area, he believed he could help out. After dribbling us for three days, he finally showed up and we arrested him.

“We are still searching for the remaining seven suspects, including the one with the police gun which they took at the quarry; and we will get them.”

The Force Public Relations Officer, Donald Awunnah, said investigations were ongoing.

*Wickedness beyond belief!...how can you kill somebody over money you didnt work for?..This is so sad and i hope that Dangote will compensate his family.

Forgive me for asking, but pls which one is thief kill thief inside dis mata? I didn't read anywhere dat they gave d man 10m and he kept some.mak we de sensitive to somethings we d write mbok,biko ejooooooooooooo.

Nothing good can ever come from the Fulani people. Almost all of them are from the north if am not mistaking. Some idiot will soon come and call me tribalistic, please take your madness to another post.

imagine, killing an innocent soul for money you did not work for, these group of people is the problem in this naija. Very lazy sets of fools, God will punish you for this soul you wasted, did you know what it caused God to create human nail talkless of full human being. Bastards

Is high time govt will stop grazing of cattle in the open Bush it gives these Fulani herdsmen Opportunity to commit alot of crime private ranch will be the best solution to monitor their activities cos since buhari won election they have turn into something else.

MAY HE RIP. BT NEXT TYM,PLZ BE WISER THAN THAT OGA STRATEGIST. WAT IS 10M TO DANGOTE DT U WILL TAKE SUCH RISK TO GO WITH AN INCOMPLETE MONEY,WEN U KW DT HIS FULANIS R SOOOO HEARTLESS AND WICKED EHN? WAT EVN MADE U FEEL DT THEY WILL COLLECT INCOMPLETE MONEY AND ALLOW U WALK AWAY LIK DT WEN THEY KW WHO U WORK FOR? PLZ MY PPL,LET US ALL BE WISE. D ONE DT PAINS ME MOST IS Y CANT DS NORTHERNS STAY IN THEIR STATES EHN? THEY ROAM ABT KILL AND CAUSE TROUBLE IN D NAME OF GAZING. WE DNT WNT TO EAT MEAT AGN BIKO MK UNA GO UNA STATE WITH UNA MEAT AND LET US LIVE IN PEACE MBOK. WEN HE SAID HE DDNT HV A NUMBR 2 CALL,SHEY NA DANGOTE STAFF GO CARRY HIM BODY ABI? WHR WERE THEY WEN DEY HELD HIM FOR DT LONG 3DAYS? AND SEE DS DRY BONES,LOOKING FOR 10M DEY DDNT WORK FOR. HMMM,DRE IS GOD.

MAY HE RIP. BT NEXT TYM,PLZ BE WISER THAN THAT OGA STRATEGIST. WAT IS 10M TO DANGOTE DT U WILL TAKE SUCH RISK TO GO WITH AN INCOMPLETE MONEY,WEN U KW DT HIS FULANIS R SOOOO HEARTLESS AND WICKED EHN? WAT EVN MADE U FEEL DT THEY WILL COLLECT INCOMPLETE MONEY AND ALLOW U WALK AWAY LIK DT WEN THEY KW WHO U WORK FOR? PLZ MY PPL,LET US ALL BE WISE. D ONE DT PAINS ME MOST IS Y CANT DS NORTHERNS STAY IN THEIR STATES EHN? THEY ROAM ABT KILL AND CAUSE TROUBLE IN D NAME OF GAZING. WE DNT WNT TO EAT MEAT AGN BIKO MK UNA GO UNA STATE WITH UNA MEAT AND LET US LIVE IN PEACE MBOK. WEN HE SAID HE DDNT HV A NUMBR 2 CALL,SHEY NA DANGOTE STAFF GO CARRY HIM BODY ABI? WHR WERE THEY WEN DEY HELD HIM FOR DT LONG 3DAYS? AND SEE DS DRY BONES,LOOKING FOR 10M DEY DDNT WORK FOR. HMMM,DRE IS GOD.

Wicked boys. Mrs Bello is a friend to my boss. She's such a kind and loving woman. My boss even mentioned that Mr Bello was also a man with a kind heart, always having the interest of others at heart. This is bad. These boys don't know the pain they've caused Mrs Bello and her cute loving kids. Kai! Smh

Mr. Bello!! Kaiiiiiiiiii!!! I will miss you soooo dearly. A very fun, super jovial and generous man. He will never say no to you, always willing to help. What will happen to your son who only last year started schooling in Simon Fraser Uni in Canada? Does he mean he will become a drop out? What will happen to your wife who you always spoke to me about with so much love and affection? LORD JESUSSSSSS!!!!

May all the evil that this earth inhabits fall upon the heads of your killers. May they run mad until they meet their death. Mr. Bello you did not deserve to die....GOD I'M SO PAINED!!

Dear Stella, his family will be compensated well as he was not just an HR Manager in dangote. He worked there since he was in his 20's and helped build the whole HR structure of dangote cement which is in place now. He is also related to Aliko.

Mr. Bello, "Ashley" as you fondly called me,(even when my name isn't Ashley but Sophie) will miss you so immensely. REST ON!!

May his soul rip! Just imagine d evil done on a fellow human. My uncle's son ws kidnapped after enuf negotiations d ransom ws reduced to 2mil, my uncle went to his bank&took all 20,10,50&few 100 naira there & gave it to them, as punishment for dem to use 3days count 2 million naira. When d son ws released to him,he got home&said he is sure dey wud be getting tired of counting.lol.